School name: Delaware Valley University
Type of school: Delval is known for being a school of agriculture
School locale (including state and country): Doylestown, PA
How many years have you taught psychology? I am beginning my 5th year.
Classes you teach: Multicultural Issues in Counseling, Intro to Psych, Developmental Disabilities, Childhood Psychopathology, and Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome
Specialization (if applicable): Health Psychology, Clinical and African American Psychology
Average class size: 34
What book or article has shaped your work as a psychology teacher? Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend
Briefly tell us about your favorite lecture topic or course to teach. I have two favorite lecture topics: The Criminal Mind and Psychological Disorders
Briefly describe a favorite assignment or in-class activity. My favorite in class activity is the Dr. Bandura “Bobo the Clown “activity where I bring an inflatable clown into the class to demonstrate the experiment. Most students are surprised to see me hitting an inflatable clown with a bat during class.
What teaching and learning techniques work best for you? The teaching technique that works best for me is running an interactive class. I add a lot of questions through my presentation in order to make sure my students are engaged.
What’s your workspace like? As an adjunct I carry everything I need with me during my class but I bring things such as a diffuser that turns different colors to make the classroom environment more welcoming.
Three words that best describe your teaching style. Engaging, Controversial (in a good way), and Energetic
What is your teaching philosophy in 8 words or fewer? Learning goes beyond the classroom.
Tell us about a teaching disaster (or embarrassment) you’ve had and how you dealt with the situation. During my first year of teaching I remember a lesson that I worked so hard on but it just wasn’t long enough and I had too much time left over. I was scrambling to think of things to do so I just free-styled. It was very awkward but I learned from that day on to always have a backup plan.
What about teaching do you find most enjoyable? I enjoy seeing that moment is a student’s reaction where you see the lightbulb go off and they really connect with the material.
What is something your students would be surprised to learn about you? My students would be surprised to learn that although I seem to be extrovert during class, I am really an introvert and very shy.
